Ventilated container



Dec. P5, 1952 J, sTEFANlcH 2,621,847

VENTILATED CONTAINER Filed April 26, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 1 \MVENTQRANTHONY d. STEFANICH Dec. 16, 1952 J STEFANlCH 2,621,847

VENTILATED CONTAINER Filed April 26, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 hum Amnow d.S-raFAmcH %W rm TTORNEYS 9 1952 A. J. STEFANICH VENTILATED CONTAINER 3SheetsSheet 5 Filed April 26, 1948 \NVENTOR ANTHONY d. STEFANICH ATTORNEXS Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention relates to containers and more particularly to acombined wood and fibreboard container adapted for the shipment of freshfruits, vegetables, and other perishable agricultural products.

Many fruits and vegetables are commonly moved to market in woodcontainers commonly referred to as lug boxes. Such boxes areconventionally rectangular in shape having wooden ends, sides, andbottoms formed of wood shook nailed to the ends, and wood lids employedto confine produce to the box. Such boxes are subject to certaindifficulties which the present invention seeks to overcome. The cost ofthe boxes frequently exceeds the total profit of the shipper for packingand transporting to market the produce contained therein. The boxes areunnecessarily heavy resulting in unnecessarily large transportationexpenses. The thin shook comprising the bottoms, sides, and lids areeasily split and broken subjecting the contained produce to damage. Thewood tends to absorb moisture and in many instances is responsible formold and decay of the produce. During transportation of the fruit,vibration is unavoidably transmitted to the boxes and delicate producecontained therein is chafed by frictional engagement with the innersurfaces of the box. To avoid these diificulties it has become aconventional practice to provide paper padding and liners for suchboxes. In order to heap produce in the boxes and to retain the sametherein above the sides, cardboard side guards are inserted between thesides of the box and the produce and upwardly arched in fruit confiningposition. Further, padding is overlaid the pro duce for shipment and incooperation with the side guards maintains the produce in packedposition. The liners, side guards, cushions and other aids required inconventional lug boxes constitute needless expenses which further add tothe shippers costs. Still further it is essential that fresh fruits andvegetables continue breathing for several days after being harvested.Such breathing is necessary to the preservation of the produce insalable condition and is inefiectively permitted in conventional lugboxes of the type described employing the liner, cushions, side guardsand the like. Conventional lug boxes provide cracks between the shook inthe sides, bottoms, and lids and ventilation openings through the sideguards, but such openings are limited to the interstices between theshock. The cutting of ventilation openings through the shock isexpensive and weakens the shook to such extent as to preclude suchsupplementary venting.

These and other diificulties have long been recognized in fruit andvegetable marketing as evidenced by the many efiorts to solve theproblems. The substitution of other materials for the wood inconventional lug boxes has quite generally been productive ofdifficulties of aggravated nature. For example, the expense frequentlyhas been increased, strength has been sacrificed, and in instances inwhich efforts have been made to employ cardboard or fibreboard materialsin the crate, the resulting crates have been unsuited to stackedarrangement, tending to crush, and have been unsuited to clamp truckoperations.

An object of the present invention therefore is to reduce the costsincident to crating and shipping fresh fruits, vegetables, and the like.

Another object is to provide an improved container of the lug box typethat is light weight, strong, and adapted for stacking and clamp truckoperations.

Another object is to provide a container for the purposes set forth thatis easily constructed and economically produced.

Another object is to provide a combined wood and fibreboard containerhaving improved strength and ventilation characteristics.

Another object is to provide an improved lug box minimizing abrasion ofproduce contained therein during shipping and handling operations.

Another object is to provide a shipping con- 7 tainer having resilientsides and bottom making provision for cushioned support of producepacked therein.

A further object is to provide a shipping con- I tainer in which thesides and bottom thereof, as well as the side guards upwardly extendedfrom the sides, are of a continuous sheet of material.

A still further object is to provide a combined shipping container andpre-packaging cartons housed thereby conducive to more effectiveventilation of pre-packaged produce than heretofore known.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the subsequentdescription in the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exploded plan view of a container embodying the principlesof the present inven- Fig. 2 is a blank of fibreboard materialillustrative of the formation of the bottom, sides, and slide guards ofthe container in continuous rela- Fig. 3 is a perspective view of thecontainer shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the container shown in Fig. 3 illustratingthe provision of a lid therefor as for transporting purposes.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of the presentinvention.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of a plurality of containers of the typeshown in Fig. 7 in stacked relation illustrative of ventilation passagesformed through the stack.

Fig. 9 is a third form of the present invention having additionalventilative features.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of a group of the car-- tons of the type shownin Fig. 9 in stacked relation.

Fig. 11 demonstrates the combined container and prepackaging cartons ofthe present invention.

Fig. 12 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the combinedcontainer and prepackaging cartons shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a section taken on line I3I 3 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14- is a fragmentary illustration showing a box end of materialother than wood.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings.

In Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 6, substantially rectangular, wooden ends for acontainer of the present: invention are indicated at I 0. Assubsequently will become apparent the present invention is not limitedto the employment of ends having the common rectangular shape but iswell adapted to formation from ends of other geometrical con'figurationproviding angularly related edges. The ends are preferably of athickness and type of wood suited to the reception of nails in thesecuring of the sides, bottom, and lid, subsequently described. Pinewoodends approximately 3 of an inch thick are suitable. The endsconveniently provide a bottom edge II, oppositely disposed side edges I2and a top edge l3, in right angular relation.

The bottom and sides of the container are formed from a blank [5 offibreboard material configuratedas shown in Fig. 2. For purposes ofdescriptive convenience, the term fibreboard is used to designate pastedchip board, corrugated fibreboard, laminated fibreboard, solidfibreboardand other fibre products such as cardboard, paper board, and the like.The blank is delineated by a pair of substantially parallel end edgesI6. For containers of the size of a conventional lug box the blank isapproximately 17 /2 inches long. Arcuate convex side edges I'I-interconnect the end edges I6 preferably in attitudes so, that chordsdrawn between each chords arcuate sides opposite ends are normal to theend edges. For containers of lug box size the overall width of theblankis approximately 28 inches. The area between such chords and said chordsrespective side edges Il comprise side guards in continuous relationwith the side of the container. These side guards are provided withventilation openings I8. A pair of parallel scores I9 interconnect theend edges I6 and are spaced a distance equal to the width of the bottomedges. of the ends. This distance, for usual lug box size, is 13%inches. Said scores are spaced inwardly from the ends of the side edgesll of the blank a distance substantially equal to the height of the endsI0, normally 5% inches, leaving side guards 1 inches high at theirvertex. The measurements given are illustrative only and in no way-limittheinvention to embodiment in the size or relative shape described.

Ventilation openings 20 are formed in the blank in quantity andarrangement desired for the particular produce for which the containeris provided. Much of the strength of the container results from theability of sheets of fibreboard material to withstand even excessivestrains imposed edgewardly thereon. The employment of ends ofgeometrical configuration providing angularly related edges assures thecontainer of a resulting plurality of continuous fibreboard panelsresistive to edgewardly imposed forces when a sheet of fibreboard ismade to conform to said edges. The scores I9 are for the purpose offacilitating bending of the sheet in the conforming operation. Onceformed, the scores delineate crease lines longitudinally of thecontainer that are of major effect in imparting rigidity to thecontainer. Normally, the ventilation openings may be positioned anywherein the fibreboard sheet, even on a crease line, without weakening thecontainer excessively. When maximum strength is desired, however, theopenings are arranged to avoid the crease lines, as shown in Fig. '7.

As shown in Fig. 3 the fibreboard blank I5 interconnects the ends ID infixed spaced relation by bein nailed as at 22 to the side edges I2 andbottom edges II of the ends II]. For the purpose of more effectivelysupporting the fibreboard ma terial at the bottom edges of the ends, acleat 23 is positioned in underlying relation to the fibreboard materialand nailed to the ends therethrough. In addition to the strengthimparted to the container by bending of the blank I5, as previouslydiscussed, the blank is preferably formed of laminated corrugatedfibreboard, of the type shown in Fig. 4, in which the corrugations areendwardly disposed the container.

As shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 6 the arcuate edges I! are upwardly extendedabove the ends to constitute side guards adapted to confine heapedproduce in the container. The lid is conveniently formed of a pluralityof wooden shakes 21 arched between the ends in superposed relation tothe edges IT. The inner surface of the fibreboard blank is preferablycoated with a thin film of waterproof and friction reducing wax materialsuch as paraffin, carnauba wax, or other unguent material havin saidcharacteristics. So formed the container provides cushioned support forproduce contained therein through the resilience of the corrugatedfibreboard, is lighter in weight than lug boxes heretofore foundsuitable for fruit shipping purposes, possesses strength characteristicssurpassing those of conventional wooden lugs in the avoiding oftendencies to split and crack, incorporates ventilation openings atpositions advantageously suited to produce requirements, and minimizeschafing and spoiling of the fruit contained therein by the frictionreducing and waterproofing characteristics of the unguent materialapplied to the interior of the box.

Second form As previously suggested the ventilation of fresh produce isof great importance to shipping and storing thereof. In Figs. '7 and 8,a form of the present invention having improved ventilationcharacteristics is shown. In this second form, the ends III are providedwith biased edges 30interconnecting the bottom edges I I and side edgesI2 eliminating lower corners of the ends. In this ventilating of theproduce in the containers andthe cooling and fumigation thereofrendering material savings in refrigeration time and costs in precoolingrefrigeration cars and in the time required and costs for fumigating theproduce prior to shipment.

Third form A third form of the present invention is directed to furthereffective ventilation, refrigeration, and fumigation of packed produce.The third form provides ends I having biased edges as described for thesecond form and in addition, inverted V-shaped notches formed upwardlyfrom the bottom edges H of the ends. The notches are delineated byintersecting angularly related edges 36 and 31. In the formation of thethird form of the present invention the fibreboard blanks I5 is providedwith additional parallel score lines 38 and 39 spaced to coincide withthe intersections of the edges 36 and 31 with the bottom edge H and ofsaid edges 36 and 31 with each other. The fibreboard material is nailedto the side edges l2 and biased edges 36 as previously described, and tothe bottom edges II by means of cleats 23, also as previously described.The fibreboard sheet is bent along crease lines endwardly of thecontainer enabling the humping of the fibreboard sheet upwardly intoinverted V-shaped notches 35 and the maintenance of said material inintimate engagement with the edges 36 and 31 by the firm securing of theblank to the bottom edges ll, obviating any need to secure said sheet tothe edges 36 and 37 thus avoiding the inconvenience and expense ofsecuring the same. Ventilation openings are provided in the panels offibreboard interconnecting the biased edges and in the panels thereofinterconnecting the edges 36 and 31 of the notch 35. In stackedarrangement not only do the panels interconnecting the biased edges formventilation passages 32 between the sides of the containers near thebottom portions thereof but in addition the panels interconnecting theedges 36 and 31 form ventilation passages 40 longitudinally of eachcontainer, said passages being in communication with the interiors ofthe containers by way of the openings 26.

Combination of container with prepackaging cartons In Fig. 11, thecombination of the first form of the carton of the present inventionwith prepackaging cartons of substantially uniform size is illustrated.The cartons shown are of a popular form having substantially paralleltop panels 5!, bottom panels 52, and downwardly convergent side panels53 and end panels 54. The cartons employ ventilation openings 55 throughthe lower portions of the side panels and end panels and furtherventilation openings 56 at the intersections of said side and endpanels. When the pre-packaging cartons are grouped 6 for shippingpurposes they define ventilation passages 51 along the sides thereof andventilation passages 58 along the ends. In constructing the first formof the containers of the present invention to house the groupedpre-packaging cartons 50, as shown in Fig. 11, the ends ID are spaced adistance a multiple of the over all length of a carton, provided of awidth a multiple of the over all width of said carton, and of a heightequal to the over all height, or a multiple thereof, of said carton. Thefibreboard blank 15 is secured in interconnecting relation between theends as previously described forming, in continuous relation, a bottompanel interconnecting the bottom edges ll of the ends and side panelsinterconnecting the side edges l2 of said ends. The ventilation openings20 are formed to register with the ventilation passages 51 and 58, apositioning not practical in wooden lugs. This gives a free flow of airthrough the container between the cartons. A lid 60 somewhat differentin form from the lid '25, previously described, is employed to maintainthe cartons in the container. The lid 60 includes slats 6i positionedendwardly of the container and in overlying relation to the side edgesof the cartons in substantially vertical alignment with the openings 20.The slats are conveniently secured by lid cleats 62 nailed to the topedges of the ends.

Although the ends it for the containers of the present invention havebeen described as made of wood, it will readily be apparent that thepresent invention is not limited to such material. The ends l0 obviouslyshould be thick enough to provide adequate bearing surfaces on themounting edges for the fibreboard bottom and sides, light enough to bepractical for handling, cheap enough to be economical, and soft enoughto accept the claws of clamp trucks. Said ends are preferably of amaterial that will receive nails in securing the fibreboard materialthereto but not necessarily so, said fibreboard material being adaptedfor securing to the ends by gluing the same thereto. In Fig. 14 an end10 configurated as previously described for the ends in is illustratedto show a material, other than wood, suited to the purpose. The end 10is formed from a relatively thick block of solid fibreboard II, and hassurface impregnations 12 of synthetic resin or the like to stiffen thefibreboard block. The impregnations need not be deep as their chiefpurpose is to give additional rigidity to the block and a strong enoughsurface for the claws of a hand truck. The solid fibreboard providessufficient bulk to which to nail the fibreboard bottom and sides.

Operation The operation of the embodiments of the present invention areclearly apparent and briefly reviewed at this point. Fruits, vegetablesand the like are packed in the containers in any suitable manner, thecontainers being adapted for bulk pack as well as the pre-packaging ofthe produce in cartons. In each pack, the containers of the presentinvention provide ventilation characteristics superior to that known inconvention lug boxes or other shipping containers for produce. After theproduce is packed it is maintained in the containers by the employmentof a lid 25, or a lid 60, appropriate to the type of pack involved.During shipping, the produce is preserved in a fresh condition by thethorough ventilation thereof and by the waterproof coating inwardlydisposed of the container which pre- 7,. eludes the absorption andmaintenance of moisture in contact with the produce. The wax coatingfurther serves to reduce chafing incident to jostling and shaking of thecontainers during handling and shipping. The containers are lighter inweight than those heretofore known and thus shipping costs are reduced.The sides and bottom ofthe container can not crack or split and thus acommon cause of a waste of produce incident to lug box failure isobviated. The wooden ends of the containers permit ready stackingthereof to heights commonly employed in refrigeration cars and trucksand higher without collapsing or crushing the containers. The woodenends adapt the container of the present invention to hand truckoperation. The bending of the fibreboard blanks along crease linesendwardly of the container imparts strength characteristic to theimproved container not known in conventional lug boxes. As previouslynoted the produce is cushioned during handling and transporting by thefibreboard sides and bottom. In addition to the numerous operationaladvantages of the containers of the present invention, perhaps mostsignificant is the reduction of expense over conventional lug boxesresulting in savings for any given quantity of produce packed andshipped equaling what is normally considered a fair profit for theshipper in packing and shipping such a quantity.

What I conceive to be the true scope of my invention is the combination,in a container, of Wooden ents or other suitable material havingangularly related edges, adapting the container to hand truck operationand mparting vertical rigidity to the container conducive to thedependable stacking thereof, and of a sheet of fibreboard materialintimately conformed to the angularly related edges of the ends andinterconnecting the ends in .fiXed spaced relation thereby impartinglongitudinal rigidity to the container b bending of the sheet alongcrease lines longitudinally of said container coincident with theintersections of angularly related edges of the ends.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in what I haveconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of myinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein,but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent devices and structures.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

l. A ventilated container comprising substantially rectangular woodenend members each having a bottom edge, opposite erect side edges, and atop edge; a single sheet of fibreboard material interconnecting the endmembers and secured to the bottom edges and side edges thereof, saidsheet having ventilation openings formed therethrough; lower spacingcleats positioned below the sheet of fibreboard material and nailed tothe bottom edges of the end members therethrough; spaced slatsinterconnecting the top edges of the end members; and upper spacingcleats nailed to the end members through the slats whereby when saidcontainer is in stacked relation with similar containers horizontal airpassages are defined transversely across the top and across the bottomthereof between the spaced upper cleats and the spaced lower cleatswhich air passages communicate with the ventilation 8 openings in thefibreboard material and with the spaces between the slats.

2. A ventilated container comprisin a pair of substantially rectangularends of similar size each having plain parallel surfaces and a bottomedge, a top edge, and side edges all angularly disposed to the planesurfaces of their respective ends, a sheet of corrugated fibreboardmaterial affixed to said bottom and side edges of the ends andinterconnecting the same in fixed spaced relation with the corrugationsof said sheet endwardly disposed in the container, the ends being ofsufficient thickness firmly to support the sheet of corrugatedfibreboard material and being of a material soft enough to receivestandard nails in securing said fibreboard sheet to the edges of theends and of a stiffness at least equal to the stiffness of a softwood ofthe same dimensions, said fibreboard sheet being bent alon creaselinesendwardly of the container coincident with the intersections of thebottom and side edges of the container and having ventilation openingsformed therethrough along said crease-lines; cleats underlying the sheetand secured to the lower edges of the ends; slats interconnecting theupper edges of the ends and positioned above the ventilation openingsformed through the fibreboard sheet; and cleats overlaying the slats andsecured to the upper edges of the ends therethrough.

3. A ventilated display package for fresh fruits and the like comprisingin combination a ventilated container and a plurality of substantiallyuniform prepackaging cartons of fibreboard material nested therein inalignment longitudinally of the container; the container having a pairof spaced substantially rectangular wooden end members each having abottom edge, opposite erect side edges, and a top edge; a single sheetof fibreboard material interconnecting the end members and secured tothe bottom edges and side edges thereof; the cartons having downwardlyconvergent side and end walls provided with ventilation openingstherethrough and defining ventilation passages between the lowerportions of the cartons and between the lower portions of said cartonsand the container, bottoms continuous with said side and end walls, andlids in covering relation to said cartons, the lids having transparentinspection windows provided therein of an area less than the area oftheir respective lids; slats interconnecting the upper edges of the endmembers of the container and arranged to overlay the portions of thelids boundin the inspection windows to retain the cartons in thecontainer, the sheet of fibreboard material being formed withventilation openings therethrough in registry with the ventilationpassages formed between the cartons and between the cartons and thecontainer.

4. A ventilated inspection package for fresh fruits and the likecomprising a pair of substantially rectangular spaced wooded end memberseach having a bottom edge, opposite side edges,

and a top edge; a sheet of fibreboard material afiixed to the bottom andside edges of the end members and interconnectin the same in fixedspaced relation, said fibreboard sheet being bent along crease-linesendwardly of the container coincident with the intersections of thebottom and side edges of the end members; a plurality of substantiallyrectangular prepackaging cartons fitted in abutting end-to-end andside-to-side relation between the end members and the portions of thefibreboard sheet interconnecting the side edges of the end membersrespectively, said cartons having lids providing inspection windowstherein, downwardly convergent end walls and side walls definingventilation passages between the cartons, between the cartons and theend members and between the cartons and the portions of the fibreboardsheet interconnecting the side edges of the end members; slatsinterconnecting the upper edges of the end members and overlayingadjacent edges of the cartons and the edges of the cartons adjacent tothe portions of the fibreboard interconnecting the side edges of the endmembers, respectively, said slats being spaced for visual reference tothe carton inspection windows therebetween; cleats overlay ng the slatsand secured to the upper edges of the end members therethrough; andcleats underlaying the fibreboard sheet and secured to the lower edgesof the end members therethrough, the fibreboard sheet havin ventilationopenings formed therethrough in registry with the ventilation passagesdefined by the end walls and the side walls of the cartons and inregistry with transverse passages formed between the passages by thecleats when said packages are in stacked relation.

5. A ventilated container comprising a pair of wooden members of similarshape each having a bottom edge, opposite side edges and a top edge; asingle sheet of fibreboard material interconnecting the end members andsecured to the bottom edges and side edges thereof, said sheet havingventilation openings formed therethrough;

lower spacing cleats positioned below the sheet of fibre-board materialand nailed to the bottom edges of the end members therethrough; an airpervious lid interconnecting the top edges of the end members; and upperspaced cleats nailed to the end members through the lid whereby whensaid container is in stacked relation with similar containers horizontalair passages are defined transversely across the lid and across thebottom thereof between the spaced upper cleats and the spaced lowercleats which air passages communicate with the ventilation openings inthe fibreboard material and with the air pervious lid.

ANTHONY J. STEFANICI-I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 410,429 Mott Sept. 3, 1889464,565 Hawley Dec. 8, 1891 1,346,661 Lemon July 13, 1920 1,412,361Lippmann Apr. 11, 1922 1,947,446 Boren Feb. 20, 1934 1,959,998 BronsonMay 22, 1934 2,248,682 Hulett July 8, 1941 2,328,689 Shofer Sept. 7,1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 266,861 Great Britain Mar. 10,1927

